April 2015 30 Day Rule/Focus Pic & Discussion Thread

Arko April Focus - CJB Kamisori
April 14, 2015 - Week 3 Day 3
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - Omega Pro 48
Soap - Arko
Razor - CJB
Blade - (4)
Post - Alum, Proraso

Day off shave so lots of time. I decided to use the Arko stick instead of the puck today since I received the one I traded a blade to @Drygulch for. Got a great first lather and went to work with the CJB. Had a really good first pass except for a minor nick on the top of my ear as I came down too close to it on the left side. Nothing major. Everything felt comfortable and got another good lather off the brush for the second. Second pass was very good as well with the neck still my issue. My plan was to do two passes then go to the Superspeed to clean up. Oh, but I have plenty of time so let's try a third with the CJB. I got out my Arko puck just to add a lot of lather and kept touching it up as I went. Got the right side of my neck BBS with no nicks/cuts/weepers. Left side, thanks to my left hand, is a very good DFS with two minor nicks. Overall I'm calling this 98% BBS today. Best day I've had with this razor. I will admit that my neck, especially left side, is quite irritated as the alum definitely proved. But, no major blood loss and a great overall result.

I think the key to today's success was just the amount of time I took. I also avoided taking a stroke with the razor on the second and third passes until I had it where I wanted it and it felt comfortable. Extra lather also helped. Maybe I just need more days off!

 

GSB!

 

Sold! They're so smooth and I wanted to like them in my Tech but just weren't sharp enough in it. Should be nice in the Cadet I'd think.

 

Nice setup.

 

Plus, Arko is much cheaper than Bug and Tar Remover!

 

Thanks Chris. This is pretty much what I did today, and a fine lather and another great shave resulted!

I didn't wash the car with the leftover lather, but I degreased the engine.

 

Noob goals -

1. Work on razor technique for 3 areas: 1. edges of the mouth, 2. sides of the chin, 3. under the mandible
2. Try one different brand of blade. One blade lasts a whole week, but that 60-blade assortment is taking up space...
   
3. Shave everyday. This light beard really does not need it. All the fussing feels so good.

 

Great goals! I like number 3 because you've discovered the essence of shaving...it's the time spent enjoying the process that really counts. I used to shave every other day because I hated doing it so much. Days off? Forget it! Wouldn't go near the razor. Now I shave every day and usually wish I could do it again!

 

Aggressive April - Day 9 (4/15/15)



Prep: Hot shower w/ Grandpa's Pine Tar
Soap: TSD Barber Shoppe shave stick
Brush: Omega 13522
Razor: Cadet OC
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
Post: Witch Hazel, Nivea Sensitive Balm

Excellent early morning 2 pass shave today! WTG & XTG, nice and smooth, no irritation, no blood (besides from my nose again, I see the ENT Friday to hopefully get that taken care of).

 

Welcome to the 30 day focus. Very worthy goals. By concentrating on your trouble areas, you should see a big improvement over the next several weeks. I know it made a huge difference in my technique.

 

I'm really slacking this month, I can't even remember the last day I shaved. Today I'll break the cycle and make sure it's the first thing I do when I get home.

 

Homemade Pre-Shave Oil.
Razor: Bluebeards Revenge
Blade: Wilkinson Black
Brush: WD Marble Handle Silvertip, 24/67
Cream: Bluebeards Revenge
A/S: Lucky Tiger

Day 12- Hot shower with a cold water finish. Tea Tree soap for body and hair.
Homemade PSO was applied to whole face after returning from golf yesterday for wind burn. It worked perfectly.
Day 6 for the Wilkinson Black blade and it is still hanging in there. Still happy with all my gear and I'm getting good shaves.

 

FB focus day 15:

Homemade PS Oil
TSD Pumpkin Spice Lanolin Soap
Vie-long Horsehair Brush
FB w/Astra ST set on 4
Aqua Velva AS

This was the first time in a while I used the Astra SP. A good shave this morning, nice and smooth. I am really glad I have been using the FB, as I feel I am getting this razor down now.

 

04/15/2015
Prep – MR GLO
Razor – Mongoose B2 with Jürgen Hempel Ti
Blade –Feather Pro (1)
Brush –Rudy Vey with Shavemac Finest
Lather – Catie’s Bubbles Santal Senuelle
Post - Witch Hazel and CC Sandalwood AS



Happy Tax Day! Maybe after today my world can turn to something more normal. Having used this razor so much this the first of the year, I always get consistently good shaves but ever once in a while the shave is just that much better. This morning was one of those mornings. Fantastic 2 pass shave this morning. Using a shim with a new Feather Pro yielded on of my best shaves. Enjoyed the Catie's Bubbles which proved to be very slick allowing me to clean up a couple of small areas with only a splash of water. Paired with the Captain's Choice Sandalwood AS, I feel ready to tackle the crazy day ahead.

 

I would like to shave everyday, but my face doesn't react well to it. I end up only being able to do an ATG pass, which leaves lots of ingrown hairs and bumps. (My beard is fairly curly, so I am prone to these.) I get much better shaves with two day's growth, and can do a three pass shave. Since I enjoy the process of shaving now, I prefer to wait until I have enough whiskers to do it well.

See what works best for you, and go with it.

 

Arko April Focus - CJB Kamisori
April 15, 2015 - Week 3 Day4
Prep - Hot shower and towel
Brush - VDH Boar
Soap - Arko
Razor - CJB
Blade - (5)
Post - Alum and The Veg

Change of technique today to use the CJB in true kamisori style. Only used the right hand and kept the same side of the blade to the face for the entire shave. On a kamisori that would be the flat or "Omote" side. I made sure to take my time and try to set the blade properly before taking a stroke. Only a couple of very minor weepers, one on each cheek, where I tended to want to ride the tip instead of the flat of the blade. Bad habit, very bad habit. Finished DFS/CCS with the CCS being on the neck. Lots of alum burn and The Veg became a body splash today. Off to the races!

 

Arko April continues
I haven't shaved since Saturday evening as I'm saving up for a barber straight shave on Friday with a good buddy. But I did use my shave den shop iced signature stick for s great face washing this morning. I so needed the break from the arko smell. It's not that it's bad, just... Smells... Old I guess. I don't know how else to explain it. Of well. Half way through the month...

 

April 15

Stirling Sheep facial soap
Merkur 37C slant bar razor
Feather blade (day 2)
Kent BK8 silvertip badger brush
Arko & glycerin
Two passes plus touch-ups
Alum, Thayer's Lavender witch hazel, unrefined shea butter, and Nivea Sensitive Post-Shave Balm

I had a great and very predictable shave this morning. I'm learning how to lather Arko off the puck using my badger brush. At this point, I still prefer using Arko as a shave stick and face lathering it with my boar brush. Two passes plus a few touch-ups is sufficient for me since I shave daily. If I go for a third pass, I get a small amount of irritation. It keeps getting worse when I perform back-to-back three-pass shaves. The biggest challenge for me is knowing when to stop shaving. For me, that amounts to two careful passes with a small amount of touch up around my chin, mouth and jaw areas.

Have a blessed Thursday!

 

Homemade Pre-Shave Oil.
Razor: Bluebeards Revenge
Blade: Wilkinson Black
Brush: WD Marble Handle Silvertip, 24/67
Cream: Bluebeards Revenge
A/S: Lucky Tiger

Day 13- Hot shower with a cold finish and Tea Tree soap & shampoo.
Getting a good lather with the cream not sure if I would stay with cream, however, on occasion I may use some. I have a small car so I don't need to wash it every night. I'll keep a few creams on hand . Been changing my grip on this smooth handled razor in all three passes. I find hold the razor deeper in my hand works best for me. I also tried a few suggestion I have read here about shaving around the Adams Apple. None work as well for me as the stretch method. In fairness I have use the stretch method for years, and it made be just something I'm used to and comfortable with.
Enjoying this focus 30 day period and I believe I will be a better shaver at the end of the 30 days.

NHL playoff start tonight, so if I'm absent you'll know why.